Exhaustion

A Poem

Four years of distress and anguish Growing in intensity over time As civility was cast aside Truth was discarded Replaced by a distortion of reality A fiction that became biblical writ A country’s worship of the false idols: Money, power, racial superiority Prepared the way A nightmare that the light of day couldn’t dissolve The foundations of democracy Were rocked, teetered, almost shattered Culminating in the events of January 6th If only it were “evil” people Who spawned the cancer Then the rest of us could be absolved of any blame But good people can make mistakes Some lose their way entirely Those who observe in silence From the safety of their homes Who “mean no harm” So do nothing at all They, we, are complicit in the sicknesses Plaguing our nation: Racism, homophobia, Sexism, elitism, and religion-based intolerance

I feel exhausted, battered, soul weary Drained by continuous waves of emotion By sadness, depression, anger, and distrust of neighbors Often finding it difficult to even pray The only sure source of sustenance for me At the very time I need Her comfort the most That failure will demand much reflection on my part As I search for forgiveness for this failure

On January 20, watching the inaugural Emotions sought an outlet Tears flowed The stirring of a catharsis was felt Feeling this alive was frightening For in its wake comes vulnerability And the resurgence of hope Despite so many disappointments in my life in the past Hope refuses to let me abandon her Her tenacity and faithfulness overwhelm me So once again, I will dream of a better future for all humankind And all life forms And a better me to help make it happen